A Desire to Make a Difference

Eleven years ago, with a civil engineering degree from Catholic University in hand, Christopher Hudson-Boyd (D’25) landed a prime position at the United States General Services Administration in Washington, DC, planning and building workspaces for government agencies. His future looked bright. Yet, after several years on the job, he couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was

“I was doing well at work and moving up,” says the New Jersey native. “But I was constantly asking myself, ‘How is my work helping the average person?’ ”

After talking with a friend in dental school, Hudson-Boyd had an epiphany: his engineering skills, his love of working with his hands, and his problem-solving mindset would all be assets in dentistry, a field that offered the personal connections and the opportunity to help others that he craved.

“I realized that long-term patient-provider relationships could be just what I was looking for,” he says.

The pivot was neither quick nor easy. Unable to commit to a formal post-baccalaureate program due to other responsibilities, Hudson-Boyd created his own, taking night classes in biology and chemistry after a full day at the office. After two and a half years, including summers, he was ready to take the DAT and apply to dental school.

Penn Dental Medicine, with its reputation for excellence in faculty, curriculum, and research and its proximity to home and family, was his clear choice.

Bringing People Together

Transitioning to a full-time academic environment—especially the pervasive digital technology on campus and the large volume of information to digest—was challenging at first, but faculty and fellow students were friendly and supportive. Along with his classmate Riley Russell (D’25), Hudson-Boyd was soon elected a class representative to the Committee of Cultural Growth, a school-wide initiative of students, faculty, and staff who work to magnify the voices of underrepresented groups on campus.

“The Committee rallies behind all minorities here, and brings people together to focus on shared experiences rather than differences,” he explains.

Last year, Committee members HudsonBoyd and Russell worked with Dr. Beverley Crawford, Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion at Penn Dental Medicine, on a special event to celebrate Juneteenth, the new federal holiday marking the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The celebration convened a panel of Penn experts on diversity for a lively “Lunch and Learn” discussion. Currently, Hudson-Boyd and Russell are helping plan a second Juneteenth roundtable, this time focusing on public policy in dentistry.

In February, Hudson-Boyd, who is treasurer of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) chapter at Penn Dental Medicine, served as a moderator on another panel promoting campus diversity — “Black Voices at Penn,” a Black History Month event. The program featured former Penn Dental Medicine Board of Advisors member Dr. Lewis

Proffitt (D’73, WG ’80), a founder of the SNDA and its first president, who spoke on Black voices in dentistry.

“It was an honor to have Dr. Proffitt with us and to hear his thoughts on fostering an environment of inclusion and acceptance on campus and in our field,” he says.

Occasionally, Hudson-Boyd also works with the Penn Dental Medicine Office of Admissions, welcoming prospective students at open houses, giving tours, and sitting on panels about student life.

“When I visited campus, the one-on-one interaction I had with current students was key,” he says. “I wanted to pay it forward by giving future students an honest account of my own experiences.”

His advice to other nontraditional students? “If I can do this, you can do this!”

Immersing In Dentistry

For the past two years, Hudson-Boyd has worked with Dr. Hyeran Helen Jeon, Assistant Professor of Orthodontics, and Brianna Tucker (GD’24), a second-year orthodontics resident, on research using cephalometric tracing to track skeletal changes and growth patterns in patients using various types of orthodontic headgear and appliances. Although this work, which includes collecting data from Penn Dental Medicine faculty members, has sparked an interest in orthodontics, he isn’t yet sure if he will pursue a specialty, or if so, what it might be.

“I’m taking time to engage and immerse in all aspects dentistry,” says Hudson-Boyd, who is looking forward to exploring general dentistry in clinic this summer. “To alter someone’s smile or address skeletal deformities would be amazing, but ultimately, my biggest goal is to be able to improve lives in any way I can.”